… No plans to impeach dep gov –Speaker

George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

The Imo State House of Assembly witnessed a rowdy session yesterday during its plenary when Speaker Acho Ihim announced, after the motion for adjournment, the removal of the House Majority leader, Uche Oguike, and promptly replaced him with former majority leader, Lugard Osuji.

The Speaker had announced the change while members of the House were about leaving the legislative Chamber.
The new majority leader was sacked last year by the House over alleged inefficiency in the discharge of his duties.

However, Ihim said the removal of Oguike as the House majority leader has nothing to do with the alleged impeachment plot against the deputy governor, Eze Madumere.

“What we did was simply to re-jig principal officers of the House to have firmer control. It, therefore, has nothing to do with the rumoured impeachment of Eze Madumere. The deputy governor has not committed any impeachable offence, so, I want to advice Imo people to discountenance the rumours. When contacted for reaction, Oguike directed Daily Sun to the Speaker as only him can explain reasons behind his removal.

“I think you should ask the speaker why I was removed, because I don’t know; he is the only person who can give you the reasons for my removal.”

One of the legislators from Orlu zone, who preferred speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the Speaker’s action may not be unconnected with an impeachment plot against the deputy governor.

He revealed further that since the project of unseating Madumere is being discussed in clandestine meetings, it has remained a hard nut to crack, because of the timing and lack of cogent reason since “the deputy governor has not been in breach of any law to warrant his removal.”